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How Coins Are Made

A blanking press punches out round discs called blanks.

Step 1: Blanking

The U.S. Mint buys strips of metal about 13 inches wide and 1,500 feet long to manufacture the nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar, and dollar. The strips come rolled in a coil. Each coil is fed through a blanking press which punches out round discs called blanks. The leftover strip, called webbing is chopped and recycled. (To manufacture the cent, the Mint buys blanks ready made for stamping after supplying fabricators with copper and zinc.)

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Step 1:    Blanking

Step 2:    Annealing, Washing and Drying

Step 3:    Upsetting
Step 4:    Striking

Step 5:    Inspecting

Step 6:    Counting and Bagging
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